When federal Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver first launched his assault on the core elements of Canada’s environmental legislative regime in a January 2012 open letter, everyone knew he was talking about clearing a path for Enbridge proposed Northern Gateway tar sands pipeline.

What wasn’t as obvious, however, is how hard Enbridge has been lobbying behind the scenes to help change environmental laws so it is easier to get tar sands projects and pipelines approved.

Media reports suggest that the federal government will take include an unprecedented gutting of the Environmental Assessment Act, the Fisheries Act and possibly the Species at Risk Act in next week's federal budget. A leaked copy of changes to the Fisheries Act were so alarming that over 600 scientists wrote to the federal government opposing them, along with former Conservative fisheries ministers.